THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTER WITH MECHANISM FOR PREVENTING LEAKAGE OF INFORMATION REMAINING ON THERMAL TRANSFER RIBBON, AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING LEAKAGE OF INFORMATION REMAINING ON THERMAL TRANSFER RIBBON

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal transfer printer with a mechanism for preventing leakage of information remaining on a thermal transfer ribbon in which information of printed characters, images and bar codes can be prevented from being leaked by concealing print marks remaining on a used thermal transfer ribbon, and to provide a method for preventing leakage of remaining information.;SOLUTION: The thermal transfer printer transfers the ink of a thermal transfer ribbon to a print sheet by heating effect of a heating element in a print head by supplying the thermal transfer ribbon to a print section where a print head and a platen roller are arranged. The thermal transfer printer includes a ribbon supply section which supplies a thermal transfer ribbon toward the print section, and a ribbon winding section where a printed ribbon is wound after ink is transferred. Between the print section and the ribbon winding section, an adhesive coating means for coating the printed ribbon with adhesive is arranged. Leakage of information remaining on a thermal transfer ribbon is prevented by winding the printed ribbon coated with adhesive and then bonding one surface of the printed ribbon and an adjoining surface with adhesive thereby lumping them.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT